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A review by foulkwolf
Dominion Rising by Rebecca Rode, P.K. Tyler, Cheri Lasota, Dean F. Wilson, Tom Shutt, D.K. Holmberg, Alex H. Singh, Lisa Blackwood, Erin St. Pierre, K.J. Colt, Logan Thomas Snyder, Gwynn White, Anthea Sharp, Samuel Peralta, Felix R. Savage, Tony Bertauski, S.M. Schmitz, Timothy C. Ward, Ann Christy, Melanie Karsak, Ella Summers, Marilyn Peake, Erin Hayes, Daniel Arthur Smith, Becca Andre, Margo Bond Collins, S.M. Blooding
3.0
I was sent a pre-release copy of "The Other" by Marilyn Peake which is in this collection. Nonetheless, this review is honest, and impartial, with spoilers avoided where possible unbiased.
“Yup, the world was melting down.” – Peake’s world has potential, but weakens in places
The protagonist of The Other aptly describes a world very like our own: one of suspicion, constant surveillance, racism, corrupt police officers, a cold-war environment, and a fascination of the supernatural over scientific. We are thrown into the analytical mind of Cora Frost (PhD).
A brutal form of PTSD repeatedly enters the narrative with an interesting setup. She grew up in a cult. She had a twin who was poisoned by a woman we can infer to be their mother. This trauma results in her no-nonsense, fact-demanding attitude, and led her to become a Psychology professor. Her backstory is promising and I was looking forward to finding out more, which, unfortunately, didn’t really happen. As the plot develops, Cora goes on a research field mission with a colleague of hers, a dynamic which, again, I wish was explored further as what was shown had potential to be rather interesting. Cora’s theory of mass hysteria surrounding a so-called “alien disease outbreak” is grounded, and allows us to view her character as an outsider and above all the reactionary, superstitious fear spreading across the country. She is refreshingly flawed. The end of her narrative is so abrupt and shocking, you reread just to ask yourself, “that definitely just happened, right?”
By the second part of the novel, I began to miss Cora’s narrative voice, as we are introduced to an apparently isolated character – a teenager called Jade Whitaker. She describes mundane jobs, a chronic pain in her abdomen, and decides her ability to understand people almost telepathically is probably just a coping mechanism. She has recently lost her adopted mother and after some health issues decides to look for her biological mother. Jade’s aspect of the story almost became tedious and predictable, although I found the exploration of Max Davenport, one of Jade’s clients, to be a good attempt by the author to both maintain our intrigue, and showcase Jade’s abilities. Overall, Jade’s character shone through in internal dialogue, and we are sympathetic to her situation.
The third part of the novel is subtle and full of information relevant to another perspective of this story. It is the most important part of the book and I will not fully describe it for fear of spoilers. I wonder why the author waited so long to introduce this narrative voice: was it to build suspense? To lull us into a sense of security with Cora and Jade as our narrators? If so, it was effective. Elements that Peake brings into this part really drive a better understanding of what story the author was trying to tell, and it’s a shame these chapters are not better expanded and explored, as Peake delves into new and exciting ideas. In my opinion, the entire point of the novel is clarified within these chapters, to the point where this would have been an excellent stand-alone short story.
The Other holds many plot points in front of your face: teased a few, spoons fed others, and some were dropped. It’s a shame because it sometimes leaves the novel feeling disjointed, and the final chapter unbelievably rushed, as the mysteries tie together in a way that is not all satisfactory, nor well-elaborated. Characters in the final chapter act in a way that seems, from what we’ve previously been presented with, out of character. We are unsure of the timeline. Unsure of the situation. Uncertainty is not fun when the ending isn’t purposefully ambiguous. Conversations and events have occurred to which readers were not privy, or so you must assume. By this point I was frustrated as it was clear the author missed prime opportunities to flesh out her characters and to allow them to interact in a way that felt natural. The organic feel of Cora’s narrative, the candid tone of Jade’s narrative, and the intriguing explanatory tone of the third narrative are missing from the final moments of the book.
Despite all this, I sincerely hope a second, or a third story is written, if only for my own closure considering the ideas that Peake has introduced, presented, and glossed over, and for the characters to fully reach their potential. (And the other characters to be included; Nat, Cora’s brother, Jade’s father, Aubrey, etc.)
Peake’s comedic, academic, and thrilling writing styles are displayed when necessary, sometimes in a way that really took my breath away. I would recommend reading this book for the potential this story holds, and for the strong intrigue and suspicion that Peake’s writing induces... if only the story was a tad more solid in some places.
“Yup, the world was melting down.” – Peake’s world has potential, but weakens in places
The protagonist of The Other aptly describes a world very like our own: one of suspicion, constant surveillance, racism, corrupt police officers, a cold-war environment, and a fascination of the supernatural over scientific. We are thrown into the analytical mind of Cora Frost (PhD).
A brutal form of PTSD repeatedly enters the narrative with an interesting setup. She grew up in a cult. She had a twin who was poisoned by a woman we can infer to be their mother. This trauma results in her no-nonsense, fact-demanding attitude, and led her to become a Psychology professor. Her backstory is promising and I was looking forward to finding out more, which, unfortunately, didn’t really happen. As the plot develops, Cora goes on a research field mission with a colleague of hers, a dynamic which, again, I wish was explored further as what was shown had potential to be rather interesting. Cora’s theory of mass hysteria surrounding a so-called “alien disease outbreak” is grounded, and allows us to view her character as an outsider and above all the reactionary, superstitious fear spreading across the country. She is refreshingly flawed. The end of her narrative is so abrupt and shocking, you reread just to ask yourself, “that definitely just happened, right?”
By the second part of the novel, I began to miss Cora’s narrative voice, as we are introduced to an apparently isolated character – a teenager called Jade Whitaker. She describes mundane jobs, a chronic pain in her abdomen, and decides her ability to understand people almost telepathically is probably just a coping mechanism. She has recently lost her adopted mother and after some health issues decides to look for her biological mother. Jade’s aspect of the story almost became tedious and predictable, although I found the exploration of Max Davenport, one of Jade’s clients, to be a good attempt by the author to both maintain our intrigue, and showcase Jade’s abilities. Overall, Jade’s character shone through in internal dialogue, and we are sympathetic to her situation.
The third part of the novel is subtle and full of information relevant to another perspective of this story. It is the most important part of the book and I will not fully describe it for fear of spoilers. I wonder why the author waited so long to introduce this narrative voice: was it to build suspense? To lull us into a sense of security with Cora and Jade as our narrators? If so, it was effective. Elements that Peake brings into this part really drive a better understanding of what story the author was trying to tell, and it’s a shame these chapters are not better expanded and explored, as Peake delves into new and exciting ideas. In my opinion, the entire point of the novel is clarified within these chapters, to the point where this would have been an excellent stand-alone short story.
The Other holds many plot points in front of your face: teased a few, spoons fed others, and some were dropped. It’s a shame because it sometimes leaves the novel feeling disjointed, and the final chapter unbelievably rushed, as the mysteries tie together in a way that is not all satisfactory, nor well-elaborated. Characters in the final chapter act in a way that seems, from what we’ve previously been presented with, out of character. We are unsure of the timeline. Unsure of the situation. Uncertainty is not fun when the ending isn’t purposefully ambiguous. Conversations and events have occurred to which readers were not privy, or so you must assume. By this point I was frustrated as it was clear the author missed prime opportunities to flesh out her characters and to allow them to interact in a way that felt natural. The organic feel of Cora’s narrative, the candid tone of Jade’s narrative, and the intriguing explanatory tone of the third narrative are missing from the final moments of the book.
Despite all this, I sincerely hope a second, or a third story is written, if only for my own closure considering the ideas that Peake has introduced, presented, and glossed over, and for the characters to fully reach their potential. (And the other characters to be included; Nat, Cora’s brother, Jade’s father, Aubrey, etc.)
Peake’s comedic, academic, and thrilling writing styles are displayed when necessary, sometimes in a way that really took my breath away. I would recommend reading this book for the potential this story holds, and for the strong intrigue and suspicion that Peake’s writing induces... if only the story was a tad more solid in some places.